Washing the Elephant

CHINA; Ming dynasty

As the words “elephant” and “form” are homonyms in Chinese, washing the elephant is a Buddhist allegory for the removal of attachment to form. As stated in the Diamond Sutra, “all that has a form is unreal and illusive . . . when one expounds the Dharma, there is no Dharma to be expounded; that is the true meaning of expounding the Dharma.”
The white elephant stands in the center of the painting. One figure washes the elephant’s back, and another cleans the rear leg. A bare-chested figure on the left prepares to wipe the elephant with a bright red cloth. On the right, a Bodhisattva sits on a throne and watches, accompanied by three attendants. Below, two figures standing beside a stream attempt to tame a fierce lion. A third figure holds a broom and gazes towards the elephant. Blue rocks are painted in the foreground. Beautifully detailed trees cover the left side of the upper register. The inscription in the lower left corner dates the painting to 1588 and attributes it to Ding Yunpeng. In the upper right corner, there is an inscription by Emperor Qianlong (reigned 1736–1795) in 1745 of the Qing dynasty.